Since the advent of the internal combustion engine, various attempts have been made to provide a fuel supply system which increases the efficiency of the burning of the fuel. Applicant is aware of several United States Patents which are generally directed to this subject matter and briefly discusses them below:
U.S. Pat. No. 541,773, now U.S. Pat. No. D278,291 to Mead which discloses a vaporizer which is heated by exhaust fumes from the exhaust system. The vaporizer includes a central pipe through which petroleum from the fuel tank passes on the way to the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,997,497 to Pogue which discloses a two-stage vaporizer including a first stage wherein atmospheric air bubbles the fuel to vaporize it. From there, the fuel enters a tortuous path vaporizer which is heated by exhaust gases to further vaporize the fuel. The fuel exits from the tortuous path vaporizer and is swept down through a venturi passage to mix with air and enter the cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,687 to Chamberland, et al., discloses a vaporizing chamber connected into the exhaust line as a heat source and including fuel connections. An air jet helps to atomize the entering fuel which is then vaporized and conducted to the outlet and intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,306,897 to Ollig discloses a device which includes a spiraling chamber heated with exhaust manifold fumes. Fuel is conducted into the chamber through a pipe whereupon it is heated and vaporized, thence exiting out of the chamber whereupon it is mixed with air and the mixture enters the intake manifold. Unvaporized fuel runs down the spiral and exits through an outlet back to the fuel tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,582 to Green discloses a vaporizer which is heated by exhaust gas through various pipes. Fuel is mixed with air to help vaporize it whereupon it enters a vaporizing chamber to further vaporize. Upon leaving the chamber, further mixture with air is had and then the mixture is conducted to the intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,191 to Walcker discloses a heating coil which may be heated by coolant or hot exhaust gases. A circular tube sprays fuel directly on a screen. The temperature of the screen being elevated, the fuel vaporizes off the screen and air mixes with therewith, with the mixture then entering the intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,569 to Leshner et al., discloses a device wherein liquid fuel is metered to a vaporizing chamber which is heated by exhaust gases. The fuel is vaporized and then conducted to the engine intake where it is mixed with air in the manifold or cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,457 to Totten et al., discloses a fuel vaporizer including a first chamber heated by exhaust gas and a second serially arranged unheated baffle chamber and a distribution chamber. Fuel passes through the various chambers where it is vaporized whereupon it is mixed with air and conducted to the engine intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,582 to Collins discloses a heat exchanger including tubes through which exhaust gas travels to heat the associated chamber. Fuel is heated in the chamber whereupon it is mixed with the air and then heated in a further chamber and thence conducted to the engine intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,821 to Wichman et al., discloses a fuel supply system wherein engine exhaust is used to heat a fuel atomization chamber. The fuel is conducted therein, vaporized and then fed through a metering valve to mix with air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,274 to Quick discloses a chamber into which exhaust gases are conducted to heat same. Liquid gas droplets are centrifuged in a second chamber adjacent to the first mentioned chamber and thereby vaporized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,433 to Day discloses an annular doughnut-shaped vaporizer which is heated by exhaust gases and thus vaporizes gasoline entering therein. After such vaporization the gas is conducted to a venturi to mix with incoming air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,652 to Budnicki discloses an exhaust gas heated vaporizer through which fuel is conducted. The fuel is vaporized and thence mixed with air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,001 to Wagner discloses a cylindrical vaporizer with fuel inlet jets. As disclosed, coolant is used to provide heat to the vaporizer.
While some of these patents teach some of the aspects of the instant invention, applicant believes that none of them teach, either singly or in combination, all of the inventive features combined into applicant's invention.